Essex Police offers advice for older drivers

Essex Police is offering advice about the dangers of continuing to drive in the face of deteriorating health due to the ageing process, following a spate of incidents with older drivers involved in collisions on the county’s roads.

Essex Police is encouraging relatives to contact them by email if they are worried about an older family member who they think may no longer be fit to drive.

Adam Pipe, casualty reduction manager at Essex Police, said:

“The decision to stop driving due to ageing health can be difficult due to the loss of independence from not having a car to drive.

“However the repercussions of an avoidable collision can be huge, and range from personal injury to the driver to loss of an innocent member of the public.

“If you’re worried about a family member who you think is unfit to drive, you can contact us and we can arrange a home visit. An officer will visit the driver at home and give them a health assessment, including an eye test and will discuss any pre-existing medical conditions.

“Working with elderly drivers is just part of the engagement, enforcement and education work we do in an effort to change the behaviour of road users of all ages, whether they are a driver, cyclist or pedestrian.”